Folding fowl-coop.



No. 646,295. Patented Mar. 27, I900.

A. W. B. MAAS.

FOLDING FOWL COOP.

(Application filed my 18, 1899.)

(No Model.)

m: Nunms PETERS cu. moraumou WASNINGTOK n. c.

VFND ST TES;

ATENT Fries.

ALEX w. R. MAAS, or NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana;

FoLDmeFow -cooP.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent at. 646,295, dated March 27, 19nd.

; Application filed M 18, 1899. Serial No- 71 7j333. (No model.)

To all 1071,0111, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEX WV. R. MAAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding crates and the like, and has for its general object to provide a simple, strong, and inexpensive crate and one which is not liable to casually fold and yet is susceptible of being quickly and easily folded when desired.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims whentaken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved crate as it appears when ready for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same with the parts shown by dotted lines in the position they assume when the crate is folded. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section illustrating the connection between the side rods and the base and upper frames.

In the said drawings similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views, referring to which- A is the base-frame of my improved crate, which is preferably of wood and rectangular in form and is provided with a suitable bottom B.

C is the upper frame, which is also, by preference, of wood and rectangular in form and is designed to be provided with a suitable top (Not shown.)

D are side rods, of wire or other suitable material, which are interposed between and connect the longitudinal orside bars of the base and upper frames A C, and E E are links which are interposed between and connect the end bars of said frames.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the side rods D are provided at their ends with lateral arms a, which are journaled in the side bars of the base and upper frames and have angular portions 1) at their inner ends, whereby they are secured in said bars of the frame.

of this construction a strong and durable connection is effected between the base and upper frames, and the latter is free to be moved longitudinally and downwardly with respect By virtue to the former into the position shown bydo? ted lines in Fig. 2.

The end links E Ehave eyes 0 at their end and are connected to the end bars of the base and upper frames in the manner best shown in Fig. 2 -that is to say, the links E are loosely connected to one end bar .of the base-frame A by staples d, which are arranged at the inner upper corner of said bar and are loosely connected to one end bar of the upper frame C by staples 6, arranged at the lower outer corner of said bar, while the links E are loosely connected to the other end bar of the base-frame by staples f, arranged at the outer upper corner of said bar and are loosely connected to the other end bar of the upper frame by staples g, arranged at the inner lower corner of said bar. By virtue of this construction and arrangement of parts and the proportional lengths of the side rodsand end links the frame 0 is free to be moved from the position shown by full lines in Fig. 2 longitudinally and downwardly toward the right into the position shown by dotted lines in said figure, but is effectually prevented from moving from the position shown by full lines longitudinally and downwardly toward the left. This is advantageous because but one stay (or two stays disposed in the same direction and having their lower ends seated in the base-frame) is necessary to hold the crate in its open operative position.

F F are the stays, of which two are preferably employed, one at each side of the crate. These stays are loosely connected at their upper ends to the side bars of the upper frame C, and they are designed when the crate is opened to be placed in depressions h in the side bars of the base A and bear against the walls t' of said depressions. In this position the stays are enabled to securely hold the crate in its open operative position and against casual folding, the depth of the depressions 7i tending to prevent said stays from being jarred out of the same.

While the stays are not liable to casual movement or displacement, they may be readily removed from the depressions h when desired, and the crate may then be folded after the manner before described,

Having thus described myinventiom'what I claim is- 1. A folding crate comprising a base-frame provided with a suitable bottom, and having a depression h in the upper side of one of its side bars, an upper frame, side rods interposed between the side bars of the base and upper frames and having their ends journaled and secured in said side bars, end links E loosely connected at their lower ends to the inner upper portion of one end bar of the base-frame and loosely connected at their upper ends to the outer lower'portion of the corresponding end bar of the upper frame, end links E loosely connected at their lower ends to the outer upper portion of the other end bar of the base-frame and loosely connected at their upper ends to the lower inner portion of the corresponding end bar of the upper frame, said side rods and end links being of such proportional lengths that the crate is held against collapsing in one direction, and a stay loosely connected to one side bar of the upper frame and adapted to be rem ovably seated in the depression h of the base-frame, substantially as specified.

2. The herein-described folding crate comprising the base-frame provided with a bottom and having depressions h in the upper sides of its side bars, an upper frame, side rods having lateral end portions journaled in the side bars of the base and upper frames and terminating in angular arms at the inner sides thereof, staples arranged at the inner upper corners of one end bar of the baseframe, staples arranged at the outer lower corner of the corresponding end bar of the upper frame, staples arranged in the outer upper corner of the other end bar of the base-frame, staples arranged at the inner lower corner of the corresponding end bar of the upper frame, links E E interposed between the end bars of the frames and having eyes at their ends loosely engaging the staples thereof, said side rods and end links be ing of such proportional lengths that the crate is held against collapsing in one direction, and stays loosely connected to the side bars of the upper frame and adapted to be removably seated in the depressions h in the side bars of the lower frame, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEX \V. R. MAAS.

Witnesses:

J. G. EUs'rIs, S. EBERT. 

